BuzzSugar

Movie News Roundup: Stephen King, Kevin Spacey, Sam Raimi Get Busy

BuzzSugar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:36:49 PDT

Lots of intriguing movie news coming out of Hollywood today:

Kevin Spacey will star in the indie film Shrink as a depressed therapist who likes to ah, partake of the ganja. (A pot-smoking therapist? That sounds familiar.) His clients in the movie will include "Hollywood characters" like Robin Williams, Keke Palmer, Laura Ramsey and Gore Vidal, among others.
Columbia and Sam Raimi will team up together again after their Spider-Man ventures for yet another adaptation of a Dennis Lehane novel. Lehane's books make excellent screenplays, apparently, as Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone and the upcoming DiCaprio-Scorsese project Shutter Island have all been adapted. Next up, Raimi will direct a film version of The Given Day, which follows Boston cops in 1919.
Speaking of adaptations, the rights to an as-yet-unpublished Stephen King novella Throttle - which he wrote with his son Joe Hill - have already been optioned. The story is about "father-son members of a motorcycle gang that's chased through the desert by an 18-wheel tanker truck." The novella will be a part of a 2009 anthology dedicated to I Am Legend author Richard Matheson.

16 Memorial Day Discounts to Look Out For

Emily Co — Fri, 25 May 2012 16:35:29 PDT

As always, when it's time for a holiday weekend, everyone's looking forward to the extra day off - as well as the sales and discounts. Memorial Day is no different. Although we've given you the lowdown on which products you should keep an eye out for, here are a couple of great sales going on:

Amazon: Up to 60 percent off select women's, men's, and children's clothing.
Macy's: 15 percent off and free shipping with the code MEMDAY.
Pottery Barn: Save up to 60 percent on hundreds of items, such as umbrellas, lanterns, outdoor rugs, and more.
West Elm: Extra 15 percent off sales items with the promo code MEMDAY12.
Nordstrom: Nordstorm's half yearly sale on women's and children's items.
Bloomingdale's: Bloomingdale's Big Brown Sale offers discounts ranging from 20 to 65 percent.
REI: Save up to 30 percent on clothing and outdoor and sports gear.
Ikea: Deduct your restaurant charges when you purchase over $100 worth of home furnishings.
Quiznos: Small Sub, regular fountain drink, and chips combo for $2.99 if you show this coupon.
Tumi: Up to 40 percent off select items.
Sears: Over 300 Memorial Day deals.
JC Penney: Free shipping if you use the promo code JCPSHIP.
Puma: 30 percent discount if you use the code PUMASAVE30. Also, for every $50 spent between now and May 31, you get $25 to spend during the month of June.
Best Buy: 10 to 25 percent off major appliances.
Kohl's: Up to 75 percent off select home items, and if you use the promo code SUMMER20, then you get 20 percent off.
Ralph Lauren: Free shipping with promo code MAYFS12 and 25 percent off select sale items.
Perry Ellis: 40 percent off all online purchases with the code PEMEMORIAL40.

Shawn Johnson Talks Weight Loss and Learning to Love Her Body

espnW — Fri, 25 May 2012 03:05:26 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar!

By Shawn Johnson

Shawn Johnson is blogging for espnW throughout her training for the Olympics in London this summer. Follow hers other Olympic hopefuls' journeys on espnW.com.

Four years ago, I was standing on an Olympic podium, wearing a gold medal, and still thinking to myself how I could have been better. It had nothing to do with my performance - it was all how I looked. Back then, I always felt like I could have been a few pounds lighter. But the irony is, when I look back at the pictures, I look unhealthy and too thin. It's easy to get into a trap as an elite athlete, because you're made to feel that you're never perfect, that you can always be better. That's how you improve in your sport, but it's also tough because you aren't satisfied with yourself ever - it's second nature not to be. I'd always think, "Just get a little stronger, a little lighter," until it was completely ingrained in my mind.

Shawn Johnson takes us inside training camp

It's easy for people to blame gymnastics for this mentality, but I feel like the sport has improved a lot. The horror stories we heard from generations ago (think Joan Ryan's infamous book Little Girls in Pretty Boxes), you don't hear at all anymore. But I do believe it can improve further and that good nutrition could be a key to all of this, if it were only taught at a young age. Many gymnasts go into the elite level at 13 or so, and a 13-year-old isn't going to go to the library to read some book on nutrition! She needs to be given the right information on how to eat well. Otherwise, it's not until she's out of the sport that she realizes the damage she's done to her body by not eating enough over the past 20 years.

Shawn Johnson in the driver's seat

I see all the success we have as a country where the gymnasts aren't 100 percent healthy, and I imagine how amazing we could be if we were doing it in the healthiest way possible. I don't think it's a failure on anybody's part; the education just isn't there right now, and it's just not thought about in our sport. My parents have told me since I was little, "You're given your body for a reason. It's OK to be different. Being unique is a good thing." But I always struggled to believe it. I'm stocky, muscular and short, and I wanted to be thin and flexible so bad! My mom would say, "You're not made that way, and you're not going to become that, so you have to learn to accept and love the body you're in." Well, some people are born with that appreciation, and some people have to work really hard to get there. Put me in that second camp.

Read on for more on what Shawn Johnson has to say about body confidence and how she feels in her gymnastics leotard.

8 Creative Sides For a Late-Spring BBQ

Lizzie Fuhr — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:00:39 PDT

It's still technically Spring, but given how April showers have quickly passed into sunny May days, now's the perfect time to head to the outdoors and fire up the grates for a pre-Summer cookout.

You could go for the classic sides - or just grab bags of your favorite chips - but putting in some extra effort won't go unnoticed by all your guests who are looking forward to what you'll be heating up on the grill! Click through to check out eight less-conventional sides that will have everyone impressed.

High-Fructose Corn Syrup Makes You Stupid, Omega-3s Make You Smart

Leta Shy — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:56:36 PDT

As if you needed another reminder to stop eating processed foods: a new study has found that foods high in high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) can make you stupid. But there's good news, too: eating foods high in omega-3s can help combat loss of brain function.

The study looked at different groups of rats that had been trained on a maze. After a few days on the maze, some of the rats were fed an HFCS-sweetened solution as their drinking water for six weeks, with some also receiving a diet high in omega-3s. After the diet, the rats were tested on how well they could recall the maze. The researchers found that the rats who ate the omega-3 diet were faster at completing the maze than the other rats, whether or not they were also given HFCS. Not only that, but the rats given the HFCS and not omega-3s were the slowest at completing the maze, and their brains showed a decline in activity and memory function.

This latest lab study is yet more evidence that processed foods can mess with our minds (other studies, for example, have linked fast food to depression) and that a diet high in omega-3s can help protect your brain from aging and mental decline. Ready to swap that fast-food burger for a mind-sharpening meal instead? Here's a list of vegan sources of omega-3s and five staples of the omega-3-rich Mediterranean diet.

What Healthy Living Advice Did You Learn From Your Mom?

Leta Shy — Sun, 13 May 2012 04:12:07 PDT

Mother's Day is a time to celebrate and appreciate your mom, and what better way than to reflect on all the good advice she's given you over the years? That's especially true when it comes to healthy living advice. Many times, it's our moms who we turn to when it comes to diet and exercise, whether that means following in your mom's sports-playing footsteps, or heeding her advice about eating all your vegetables.

My mom always encouraged me to be active, whether it was disappearing for hours with my friends on our bikes or joining the track team later on at school. She also always made sure I had healthy meals to eat, all while whipping up the best chocolate chip cookies and cakes for later. I loved the balance she taught me about food - that it should be kept healthy, in general, but in the end should be enjoyed.

What healthy living advice did you learn from your mom? Celebrate your mom by telling us in the comments below (or tell us how you are teaching your kids to be healthy)!

You're Fired! 20 Signs That a Pink Slip Is Coming

Wise Bread — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:54:53 PDT

If something feels off at the office, you may want to brace yourself for the worst. Wise Bread shares signs to look for when a pink slip is coming.

There are two types of employees. One has a good idea of what they do, who they are, and what position they play in the company. They are savvy. They know the score. They are under no delusions, and will no doubt leave for another job long before they are ever considered as cannon-fodder.

And then there's the other kind. The guy who could get Gandhi to hate him. The woman who spends most of her day chatting on the phone to friends or doing online shopping. Or the nice chap in sales who is completely oblivious that the recent merger means his job is now obsolete. They all have Ostrich Syndrome. They couldn't see a pink slip coming if it was 8ft tall and glowing in the dark, screaming "you're fired!"

You want to avoid being in that second category at all costs. So I've compiled a handy list. If you can answer yes to THREE or more of these questions, you may want to think about sprucing up your résumé and dry-cleaning your best interview attire.

1. Are you no longer in the loop about, well, anything?

This is a huge telltale sign. Suddenly you're finding out about company news from the cleaning lady or the new girl in accounting. If you were formally in the know about all things business related, but now suffer from "the company's doing what??!" disease, the writing is probably on the wall.

2. Did you recently screw up big-time?

We're not talking a minor faux pas here. Did you lose money on an account that was previously bulletproof? Oh dear. Were you caught having sex on the boss's desk with the boss's spouse? That's probably not a career-enhancing move. Unless you're a real dope, you know if you have screwed up. And if you know, HR knows. It may not be the final nail in your coffin, but it's a nail in the coffin nonetheless.

3. Are people avoiding you at all costs?

Eye contact is difficult to make with someone if you know his or her head's on the chopping block. Small talk is just as tough. It's best just to avoid that person altogether. So if people are no longer doing that fun "stop 'n' chat" in the hall, or the coffee room empties when you arrive, then guess what . . . you may be a marked man or woman.

Read on for more.

6 Tech Gifts For Mom That Don't Break the Bank

Kelly Schwarze — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:32:06 PDT

With Mother's Day this weekend, you're surely racking your brain for the perfect gadget to give to show appreciation for everything dear Mom's given you in life. There's one caveat - Mom doesn't want (or need!) you draining your finances as a token of your love. Our tech picks will tell Mom you care within a budget you'll both appreciate - and yes, price-conscious can include cameras and ereaders!

Battleship's Taylor Kitsch Admits He Loves Living Where People "Don't Give a Sh*t" About Hollywood

Lindsay Miller — Wed, 09 May 2012 02:35:00 PDT

Taylor Kitsch takes the helm of this month's Battleship as a rookie Navy officer who finds himself charged with saving the world after aliens attack. We caught up with the actor at a recent press day for the action-packed adventure, where we chatted about his relationship with director Peter Berg and his adopted hometown of Austin. Taylor decided to put down roots in Texas after shooting FNL and said he especially loves that people there "don't give a sh*t" about fame or Hollywood. During our chat, we also asked Taylor if he's made any grand gestures for love, given that his character gets tasered and arrested in the process of tracking down a late-night burrito for the object of his affection. See his answer in the video and catch Battleship in theaters on May 18!

Birthday Boy George Clooney Swings Through Texas For a Chat About His Life and Work

Allie Merriam — Fri, 04 May 2012 06:53:31 PDT

George Clooney was in Houston last night for an onstage interview with socialite Lynn Wyatt as part of the Brilliant Lecture Series. His chat came three days ahead of his big 51st birthday on Sunday. To celebrate, we're looking back at 100 sexy George Clooney moments!

Yesterday's event was called "Hollywood Humanitarianism: To Whom Much Is Given, Much Is Expected," and was held at the Wortham Center's Brown Theater. George spoke about his passion for helping the Sudanese people, and also made a few quips about his fabulous life. Here are highlights from George Clooney's talk in Houston:

On his motto: "Be the person your dog thinks you are."
On good advice from his parents: "My father taught me never to mix grain with grape."
On suffering for fashion as a child in Kentucky: "If you've ever been through hell in your life, go to a pattern store and have your mom hold up a leisure suit pattern and pray nobody walks by the window."